Barclays Premier League Pick Em

[lastguyoffthebench]

Lucky for Brazil... they don't have to care until the semi-finals.   It would not surprise me to see USA fail to advance.

[lastguyoffthebench]

USMNT 2, COSTA RICA 1...ZARDES WITH WINNER

[jknezek]

Hard to complain about that last night. Costa Rica missed a few gold plated chances, but so did the U.S. so I think the score, if not the clean sheet, was pretty reflective of the U.S. dominance. I though the PK was a bit soft. Not sure I would have called it (though it was clearly a push), but it got the U.S. comfortable and kicked them into gear. Hopefully they will take the magic into the Paraguay game.

Costa Rica isn't a bad team, but I think they had their tactics wrong last night. They believed a bit too much of their own hype thinking that the WC and the last few CONCACAF results had them the better team. They simply aren't better than the U.S., though they aren't 4-0 weaker either, and they aren't going to play the U.S. straight up on the road.

Setting up in a 4-5-1 or something even more defensive and then trying to play high pressure cost them dearly. They were awful at getting back on the flanks from the high pressure. If they were going to set up that way, they should have played as a road dog and worked for the counter. Granted once they went down 2-0 they would have had to shift, but they didn't start out that way anyway. Just didn't get the CRC starting tactics.

Other thoughts. Zardes needs to work on his touch. Good chances are too hard to come by at this level for him to squander them the way he did last night. But he worked his rear off and made some good passes as well. Tough to tell whether it was he or Yedlin that was the weak link. Both did good things, but both had nasty moments as well. Yedlin's defensive decision making is still not good enough, but boy can he recover!

Bobby Wood had a very good night, better once we shifted to a 4-4-2 and he was in his more natural spot. He and Dempsey seem to be generating an understanding, something that might have happened earlier if the darn coach would play the same lineup occasionally. Didn't really hear much from Bedoya. He worked and worked, but never found the right pass and passed up on his one gold plaited opportunity to score for some reason. Similarly Bradley played the role he should play. It's not glamorous, but it's what he is best at and what helps the team the most. Wish the coach would stop trying to make him something he's not. Jones was excellent. Wondering if he will have the legs versus Paraguay. I'd love to know his running stats from last night. Miracle of miracles, a couple games together and the defense actually started to communicate as well. Who would guess that experience helps with consistency? Not Klinsmann.

Finally, if it was me, I'd go to a 4-4-2 against Paraguay.  Guzan, Yedlin, Cameron, Brooks, Johnson across the back. I wouldn't change this up at all. Bedoya and Zusi on the flanks, Bradley and Jones or Nagbe (if you want to rest Jones) in the middle. Bradley withdrawn obviously. Dempsey and Wood up front.

This pulls Zardes, who ran and played hard but didn't look comfortable out wide and just didn't have the touch, and possibly rests Jones or at least puts him on partial duty. Nagbe won't have Jones' bite, but Zusi offers more defensively than Zardes and a gelling back line should be able to pick up the slack. Nagbe will give you a bit more creativity going forward, and I'd love to see a spine of decent ball handlers that stretches the field with Brooks, Bradley, Nagbe and Wood, supported by the outside quickness of Yedlin and the craftiness of Dempsey and Bedoya.

[lastguyoffthebench]

My guess is they go with the 4-3-3 again which will look more like a 4-2-3-1.   Just need a DRAW (unless Costa Rica puts up a 5 piece nugget) so they will play conservative.

Costa Rica looked very solid in the first 10 minutes.  After the PK they started giving the ball away freely in middle and offensive thirds.    Some of the US counters were great, but the 2v4s were wasteful.  Easier to counter when playing a 4-3-3 vs a high pressing 5-3-2...   

Midfield creativity is lacking vs stronger opposition, so they could be in trouble vs a more organized Paraguay... I'm thinking they escape with a 1-1 result.


Hoping for a Brazil-USMNT match-up in NJ on 6/17.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Careless push with arms extended.  Easy PK call there.   If it were a goal kick and this scenario played out in the middle of the field, DFK applies...

[jknezek]

Careless push with arms extended.  Easy PK call there.   If it were a goal kick and this scenario played out in the middle of the field, DFK applies...

Yeah. It was. I'm just not sure I make it. I don't think Wood had a legit play on the ball if he's not pushed, and he was shoved by a U.S. player into the CRC player. Regardless, it's a justifiable call. Just seemed a bit soft to me. I'll take it.

[Flying Weasel]

Hoping for a Brazil-USMNT match-up in NJ on 6/17.

Got tickets?  We do.  I have mixed feelings about a potential Brazil-USA match-up due to the dual loyalties in our household!

[lastguyoffthebench]

Will purchase after Paraguay game.   

Poor Bolivia.  Another letdown by MLS officials.   Dr. Joe said handball and Lallas agreed on FS1 post game show (I do not agree and feel they are just trying to sweep this call under the rug)...

[jknezek]

Things we can take away from the Copa America so far. You simply cannot bring or play a "B" team and get results. Not even if you are Brazil. International soccer, and the general randomness of the game, ensure that not bringing or playing your "A" team at the international level is a dead end. Brazil is out. They brought a "B" team and played like they thought all they needed to do was show up. Peru scraped past a poor Haiti team as the only under strength team to record a win. Columbia's "B" team lost to an otherwise inept Costa Rica team. A weakened Chile looks nothing like last year's champion. I wouldn't put it past a motivated (though weakened by cards) Panama team to send them packing.

If you want to compete in a major tournament, even the major powers need to bring and play their first string. This Copa had the ability to push soccer in America forward. It still might if the U.S. can find a way past Ecuador again. But it has been horribly marred by the bribery scandal pre-tournament, the ticket prices leaving empty seats, and team selections both before the tournament and once it began. It is increasingly looking like this odd year Copa isn't the big time tournament that was promised and is more the money-grabbing joke that began with massive bribes.

Finally, pity the USMNT for their travel schedule.

5/22 in Puerto Rico   
5/25 in Frisco Texas 2124 miles, 3 time zones
5/28 in Kansas City  451 miles, 0 time zones
6/3 in Santa Clara California, 1480 miles, 2 time zones
6/7 in Chicago 1840 miles, 2 time zones
6/11 in Philadelphia 656 miles, 1 time zone
6/16 in Seattle 2365 miles, 3 time zones

With the exception of the pre-tournament games in Frisco and KC, they have piled on the miles and time zones like few teams I've seen recently. They will have crossed the country 3 times by kickoff Thursday, playing 6 of the 7 games in different time zones from the previous game. Total miles travelled? 8916 miles. 4 different time zones (PR, Central, Pacific, Eastern)

Compare with Mexico
5/28 in Atlanta
6/1 in San Diego 2140 miles, 3 time zones
6/5 Glendale Arizona 296 miles, 0 time zones
6/9 Pasadena CA 344 miles, 0 time zones
6/13 Houston TX 1365 miles, 2 time zones
6/18 (Santa Clara probably) 1619 miles, 2 time zones

Total miles travelled? 5764.


It's a big darn country, and we did the USMNT no favors by making sure they played in 3 of 4 time zones for the group stage. A bit unlucky to head all the way back across the country for the quarters as opposed to heading up the road to MetLife. I have to imagine we were expected to catch a break travel wise by finishing second in the group.

[jknezek]

Thoughts from Friday night's U.S. vs Paraguay game. Yedlin is an idiot. Seriously. Sure the first yellow was dubious, but to just lose your mind? You are a professional soccer player with a year in the top flight of English football under your belt. Don't be an idiot. While Yedlin has made some eye popping runs, and recoveries, he's also been a liability for the U.S. Very much a high risk, high reward player right now. I'm not an Orozco fan. Not by a long shot. But we might get more defensive consistency out of him for the Ecuador game, even if he eliminates some of the threat up the wing Yedlin provides.

However, with Yedlin suspended, we now need to keep Zardes on the wing. His touch was still a problem Friday night, though he did have his moment. But without the threat of Yedlin's speed, you can't also pile Zusi on that side. Zardes keeps the wide speed threat viable on the left.

Brooks was the best player on the field. He's had some growing pains, but if he can keep playing at this level he would be the pillar of any club or country defense in the world. Cameron is playing perfectly in his shadow. Williams kind of disappeared against Paraguay. He will need to provide more threat going forward on that side as Bedoya is a good and necessary piece, but not seeming to be the creative wide threat we could use on the right.

Dempsey, Jones and, Bradley have anchored the middle of the field. Jones has been unbelievable until his predictable, and yet stupid, yellow card. Bradley's card for dissent was equally idiotic and wasteful. But Dempsey in the 4-4-2 underneath is right at home. I wasn't as thrilled with Wood against Paraguay as CRC, but you can't fault his work rate. He was everywhere, even if he wasn't quite as effective up front. Bradley also played a bit too conservative, even before Yedlin's idiocy. I'd like to see him look forward, not in the sense of bombing long balls down the wings but in the sense of picking out an attacker in the next line up, before choosing the square or back pass as much as he did Friday night.

Big saves from Guzan at the right time. The U.S. has been blessed with goal keeping for 20+ years. So long as that keeps going we are always a threat to pull one out.

Finally, given the time zones, miles, and the effort we put in during that second half, how gassed are we? Losing a day of recovery, and having to cross the country again, is a tough pill to swallow. Especially for an aging Jones who has run his cleats off in all 3 games. Peru in NJ Friday would have been a better deal than an Ecuador team that seems to be on the upswing all the way out in Seattle on Thursday. Of course we didn't know Brazil was going to be a dud, but Columbia sure looks like they played the tournament for a fool resting their players, getting the shorter road trip (Houston to NJ is 1440 miles. Houston to Seattle is 1900 miles. Plus one timezone versus 2), and the extra day of rest.

[lastguyoffthebench]

France, Switz, Romania, Albania
England, Russia, Wales, Slovakia
Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Northern Ireland
Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Czech Republic
Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland
Portugal, Austria, Iceland, Hungary

3rd place teams to advance:  Romania, Turkey, Sweden, Iceland

Switz over Poland
Spain over (Iceland)
England over (Turkey)
Belgium over Portugal
Germany over Romania
Croatia over Italy
France over (Sweden)
Russia over (Austria)


Spain over Switz
Belgium over England
Germany over Croatia
France over Russia

Belgium over Spain
France over Germany

Belgium over France

[Mr.Right]

Will purchase after Paraguay game.   

Poor Bolivia.  Another letdown by MLS officials.   Dr. Joe said handball and Lallas agreed on FS1 post game show (I do not agree and feel they are just trying to sweep this call under the rug)...

In regards to "Dr.Joe"....He is a real piece of work. He is from the Hartford Connecticut area and in the 80's and 90's he was a ref and then later a ref assignment guru..He would ref alot of New England games in D1 and occasionally you would see him in the middle at Wesleyan and Trinity CT. He was an average ref at best and was known to have a serious case of rabbit ears. He then used his connections to somehow get into the high ranks of the NSCAA and I believe was possibly the NSCAA President at one point but I could be wrong. Somehow he parlayed that into Chief Assignor for MLS games in its infancy. HOw he got this Fox Soccer Ref guru gig is beyond me but it makes me laugh because he offers no insightful commentary when asked to explain this call or that call and is usually WRONG even after looking at 30 replays.

[Mr.Right]

Couple of thoughts.....

Has Dunga been fired yet? I cannot remember a Brazilian side that have disappointed so much the past couple of years. Do not even tell me they brought a "B" side either. Neymar would not have made much of a difference especially with Dunga as the coach.

Best game of the Copa's so far IMO was the Ecuador v Peru 2-2 thriller.

Speaking of Peru they have improved immensely under the Argentinian Ricardo Gareca. Last year's Copa Semi run, an up and down 2018 qualifying campaign but they have plenty of games to go, and the first win against Brazil since 1985. They are playing nice attractive attacking soccer and seem to really work hard for Gareca.

Colombia is such a talented side but I have NEVER been a fan of Jose Peckerman and his tactics. Colombia has the skill and talent to really play some attractive futbol but instead play a physical defensive countering side which has gotten them some great results under Peckerman but they could be so much more fun to watch under a Marcelo Bielsa or Jorge Sampaoli ( 2 former Chile managers). This style was the same style that ran Peckerman out of Argentina after their disappointing 2006 World Cup. Argentina fans had seen enough of their former player as they did not even recognize the way Argentina was playing in that time period under Peckerman and he was not getting results either. Maradona had them playing some very attractive futbol by 2010 but could not advance past the quarters in South Africa.

Wake me up the next time Alexi Lalas gives us anything worthwhile to listen to. He is the ultimate CAPTAIN Obvious.

After watching Conte and Juventus, I mean Italy play today. They totally flew under the radar entering the Euro's and if they play like they did today and can finish their chances they will win this tournament.

[jknezek]

Couple of thoughts.....

Has Dunga been fired yet? I cannot remember a Brazilian side that have disappointed so much the past couple of years. Do not even tell me they brought a "B" side either. Neymar would not have made much of a difference especially with Dunga as the coach.

If you think Brazil was a "B" side only because they weren't allowed to bring Neymar you weren't paying enough attention. They brought 14 players with less than 10 caps. Leaving home standout veterans David Luiz, Thiago Silva and Oscar. Then you look at who was called and dropped due to niggling injuries. Ready for this list? Douglas Costa, his replacement Kaka, Rafinha, Ederson and Oliverira. Luiz Gustavo left after making the trip to deal with family issues. So yeah, a "B" team. Partially because they couldn't bring their biggest star and captain, Neymar. Partially due to selection issues with veterans, and a lot to do with injuries throughout the top of the player pool.

Regardless, if you don't consider the team that ran out for the three group games a "B" squad by Brazil standards, I'm not sure what it would take.

On the flip side, Alexei Lalas is one of the least interesting soccer personalities ever to hang around this long. He provides nothing, always seems bored and arrogant in company of other broadcasters, and generally irritates me every time I don't change the channel fast enough to avoid him. So we certainly agree on something.

[Mr.Right]

Yes I may have been a bit harsh so I will compromise and say they were a B+ side. I rate Bobby Wood higher than Brazil's 2 strikers Hulk and Gabrielle. Douglas Costa  would have been a huge help but for me Silva is getting up there in age and Oscar while very talented has the innate ability to completely disappear from games.I have never rated David Luiz as he slows them down IMO.Also, btw your "A" team fell completely FLAT in 2014 and were a massive disappointment but we can agree to disagree.